RIALTO CHATTER: DRACULA Back to NY w/ Javier Bardem or F. Murray Abraham?

Michael Riedel of the New York Post is reporting today that there's not one, but two attempts to bring Dracula, which was last seen on Broadway in 1977 back to New York City.

One set of producers would like to do it Off-Broadway this Spring with a "to-be-determined young actor in the lead and F. Murray Abraham as Van Hesling."

The other production however would like to do it on Broadway starring none other than Oscar winner Javier Bardem as Count Dracula. Neither production is said to be capitalized yet and no stars have been officially signed either.

Based on the world-famous novel by Bram Stoker, DRACULA is the classic Gothic drama about the power of seduction and the nature of true love. When the mysterious Count Dracula takes an interest in the beautiful, young Lucy who suffers from horrific dreams and a strange illness, he arouses the suspicions of her fiancé Jonathan Harker and Professor Abraham van Helsing. Following a series of grisly murders and unexplained occurrences, the men fear Dracula may be one of the undead that prowls the darkness and preys upon innocent souls.

Adapted by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, DRACULA premiered in New York in 1927, starring Bela Lugosi. DRACULA was last seen on Broadway in 1977, starring Frank Langella. Winning two Tony Awards, including Best Revival, the production ran for more than 900 performances and inspired the 1979 film adaptation featuring Mr. Langella, Sir Laurence Olivier and Donald Pleasance.

Bram Stoker's horror novel "Dracula," which itself is based on European folklore, has been an international phenomenon since it was first published in 1897. The novel's influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for numerous stage, film and TV interpretations, including the modern-day vampires of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series, and L.J. Smith's "The Vampire Diaries."

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.